“Wait!” Jack shouted, and I turned to face him again. “There’s two of us. Can’t we just … hold her down and … take what we want?”
I slowly smiled. “You like it when they fight?”
He swallowed. “I like to be in control.”
“So do I.”
“But,” he went on, “I’m willing to let you take the lead on this one.”
I moved toward him and placed my lips against his briefly. He still tasted like me, and I couldn’t wait to get a mixture of myself and Mini Reagan off of his lips. “I knew we were more than a fling.”
“Right. So, how do we do this?”
“Well”—I looked at Mini Reagan—“she’s already tied up.”
“Yeah, but we need to be more comfortable. Let’s go back upstairs.”
“Upstairs isn’t covered in plastic. The blood will be too hard to clean up and leave traces of our fun.”
“No, I’m not saying to—to kill her in your bed, baby. Let’s go and play with her up where there’s heat, and then we can bring her back down here,” he suggested.
“But she might escape,” I argued.
“Then we leave her tied up.”
I grinned. “I can tie you up too if you want.”
Jack chuckled slightly. “I like my hands free. I can tie you up.”
I thought for a moment. “Do you think you can handle two women tied up?”
He smirked. “Only one way to find out.”
“Maybe another time.” I didn’t want to take any chances with Mini Reagan. If I was tied up and she tried to get away, I couldn’t trust Jack to stop her. I wasn’t going to give up my control. This was my game, and Jack was only my teammate.
“Okay, then what’s your plan?”
I started to get giddy, and my blood began to pump faster at the thought of my plan coming to fruition. “Usually I give them wood plaques with their names on them. Reagan already has hers and, well, I don’t know her name.” I pointed to our captive.
He walked up to Mini Reagan and peeled the silver tape off her mouth. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Fuck. You,” she gritted out with a snarl.
I grinned. “Feisty. I like it.”
“Feisty women taste the best,” Jack stated and smirked at me.
“Do you mean me?”
“I do. We haven’t tried you being tied up. What if we tie you up first and let…” Jack paused and turned to Mini Reagan. “What’s your name?”
“Fuck. You,” she repeated.
He leaned down and whispered into her ear. I couldn’t hear what was said, but then he leaned back up and asked again for a third time, “What’s your name?”
She stared up into his dark eyes and then finally replied, “Maddison.”
“What did you say to her?” I questioned.
“I told her that if she didn’t want a painful death, she’d tell us her fucking name.”
I beamed. “You really are perfect for me.”
“I agree. Now, let’s make this a night we’ll never forget.” Jack picked Maddison up, the chair and all.
“We’re going back to my bedroom?”
“Or the living room. Make her watch me fuck you,” he proposed.
“I’ve never had anyone watch me before. I’ve been the one to watch them. Or to watch her.”
“Her?” He tilted his head toward Maddison as though to ask if I meant her.
I shook my head and smiled. “No, no one. Let’s go.”
“Please don’t hurt me,” Maddison pleaded.
I reached up and put the tape back over her lips. “When I watch, they can’t hear me. It’s better if she can’t speak.”
“I agree.” Jack motioned with his head for me to start walking up the stairs. I knew he was strong, but now it was confirmed as I stared at him as he held Maddison awkwardly still strapped to the chair.
When I got to the top of the stairs, I turned to see that Jack was still at the bottom. “What are you doing?”
“I had to set her down and adjust. She’s heavy.”
I chuckled. “You’re telling me. I had to get her from the car and down to the basement.”
“And how did you do that?” He started to walk up the stairs with Maddison in his arms again.
“A wheelbarrow until I got here, and then I dragged her as I walked backward down the stairs.”
Jack grinned. “Smart.”
My heart swelled at his validation of me. I’d never had that before. We walked into my living room, and he set Maddison down near the couch. I briefly heard something outside my front door, my attention turning to the sound before I felt Jack come up behind me. He held a cloth to my face and then ...
Guns were drawn, and we were moving in, going stealthily up the walkway toward the front door. We’d parked down the street, no lights flashing on our marked and unmarked cars because we didn’t want to make our presence known.
I gave a nod to the officer with the battering ram, and a second later, the door flew open with a bang, the wood shattering. I didn’t hesitate. I could feel it in my veins that this was the place, that this was the killer we were after. If it wasn’t, I was going to lose my shit.
“Chicago PD, put your fucking hands up,” I ordered as I entered and noticed a man standing near a couch. My gaze flicked to a chair where Maddison was tied down, and I momentarily sighed with relief. My attention turned back to the man, and I caught a glimpse of red hair fanned on the couch.
“I was helping,” the man stated.
My gaze flicked back to his, and I realized it was Jack Clark. His hands were raised as I’d ordered and then Shawn started to cuff him and read him his rights. I moved toward Maddie and knelt in front of her.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded.
I removed the tape from her mouth. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
After I got the rope off of her wrists and ankles, I pulled her into a hug. “Fuck. I’m so happy you’re okay.”
Maddie started to cry in my arms, her body shaking. “She was going to rape and kill me.”
I looked over her shoulder at the woman on the couch. She was unconscious, multiple police officers surrounding with their guns aimed at her. This had to be our killer because of the red strand of hair we’d found at the most recent crime scene.
“They were going to rape and kill you?”
She shook her head. “Just the woman. She told him she was the Lakeshore Killer, and he was trying to help me.”
“See!” Jack stated. “I wasn’t going to let Katrina hurt her. She said she’s killed three girls. I had nothing to do with that, and when we went downstairs to the basement, I had no idea Maddison was down there. Then I pretended to go along with it, and when we got upstairs, I knocked her out with the ether.”
“We’ll get your statement back at the station,” Shawn replied.
“Were you knocked out with ether too?” Fucking ether. That was what the nut job used to knock out my sister when he tried to kidnap her.
“I think so. I woke up alone in the basement. I was tied up already.”
“Fuck!” I groaned again. I turned my attention to Shawn, Maddie still in my arms. “I’m going to call a bus and get Maddie checked out. Cuff her”—I pointed to the redhead on the couch—“and when she wakes up, bring her in too.”
“Will do. Are you going to call Reagan to come get Maddie?”
“Not yet,” I stated. “I’m going to make sure Maddie’s okay first, and then I’ll take her home. Can you make sure everything’s taken care of here, and I’ll meet you at the station?”
“Of course.”
I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and led Maddison out of the house. I kept her in my arms as I called for an ambulance. Her tears eased up, but I wanted her to get checked out before I took her home. When Ashtyn was drugged, she just needed fresh air and rest, so while we waited for the bus to arrive, we stayed out in the cold, fresh air.
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“I’m sorry, Maddie, but you know I need you to tell me exactly what happened, right?”
We took a seat on the top step of the porch, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, bringing her against my side.
“I don’t really know much.”
“Tell me what you do know.”
She sighed. “I had dinner with Mom and was walking back to your place when someone grabbed me from behind. Then I woke up in a cold basement, tied to a chair. I tried screaming, but no one came for a long time.”
“How long?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Thirty minutes or so.”
“And what happened when they finally came down?”
“What he said was true. They were arguing, and he seemed surprised when she told him what she wanted to do and that she was the killer you’ve been after.”
“Are you sure he didn’t know?” Jack was the director of the IT department, and Katrina was his employee. All the dots were connecting, but all along, I’d assumed we were looking for a man—we were still waiting for the DNA results for the red hair. Women did have strength, but was it possible for one to pull off all of these murders without any struggle or anything out of place? Dead weight—or that of an unconscious person—was heavy.
“He didn’t seem like he knew, and the woman kept calling me Mini Reagan. She said that she was going after Mom but then saw me and changed her plan.”
“So, she was a target.” Even though it had been months since Reagan got her plaque, I still knew that she was in danger, which was why I’d maintained private security for her. And I should have known to have them for Maddison, too. I thought we’d be okay since Maddie wasn’t a student at Lakeshore U and was only here for a few days and nights.
I was wrong.
“What else happened?” I asked.
“They asked me what my name was after talking about raping me.”
“Fuck,” I breathed.
“But at first I wouldn’t tell them my name, and then the guy whispered into my ear that he was going to help me, and I just needed to cooperate.”
“And what he said earlier was true?”
“Yeah, the woman started to walk up the stairs, and he grabbed the stuff that made her pass out. A few seconds later, you were barging in.”
“I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t Mom.”
I was too, but having it happen to Maddie wasn’t any better. Before I could respond, the bus pulled up, and I walked Maddison to the ambulance and got her checked out. Like Ashtyn, Maddie just needed time for the ether to get out of her system. When she was cleared, she gave a statement to Shawn, told him everything she told me, and then I drove her home to get some rest.
She was safe, Reagan was safe, and the killer was, hopefully, finally in custody.
I couldn’t sit still. My stomach was knotted, and I anxiously paced back and forth in the living. I was tempted to call Ethan every ten minutes, but I knew he’d call me if he had found her.
“Can I get you anything?” Pablo asked.
“My daughter,” I snapped and then sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“I understand. I couldn’t imagine if my daughter was missing.”
“You have a daughter?” I asked as I stopped pacing.
He nodded. “She’s four.”
I had no idea. Even though he and Evan were my private security, I didn’t talk to them much. It wasn’t because I didn’t care, but they were on the outside, not the inside like Officers Belt and Chase were when they were my details.
“It’s a horrible feeling,” I replied.
“Sergeant Valor will get her back.”
“I hope so.” Fuck, I hoped so. Ethan told me that my email idea had led to something, but I didn’t know what. I paced for what seemed like hours, but finally sat on the couch. I didn’t turn the TV on, and all I could do was stare at the wall, thinking.
Finally, the door opened. My gaze jerked to see Maddie and Ethan walk in, and I stood and rushed to my daughter. “Oh, my God!” I shouted as I engulfed her in my arms. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she replied against my shoulder.
My gaze met Ethan’s, and he smiled tightly. He kissed the side of my head as he passed. I pulled back, keeping my hands on Maddie’s arms. “What happened?”
“You know … kidnapped,” she said with a small shrug.
My gaze met Ethan’s again, and he nodded. I turned back to Maddison. “You were kidnapped?”
“Yeah …”
I pulled her in for another hug. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”
“Until I go back to Michigan on Sunday.”
My heart dropped, and I pulled back again to look into her green eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Can we talk about this after I get some sleep?”
“Right.” I finally stepped away. “It’s been a long night. We should all get some sleep.”
“I actually need to head back to the station,” Ethan advised.
“Really?”
He walked the few steps to me and kissed me softly. “Thanks to you, we caught the woman, Buttercup.”
“You did?”
“I’ll fill you in after I get home, but both of you should get some sleep. The two of you had a long night.”
“Wait,” I said when I realized what Ethan had actually said. “You were taken by a woman? A woman who was the killer?”
Maddie nodded. “Yeah.”
“No,” I breathed and closed my eyes as a tear slid down my cheek. It was all my fault. Everything was my fault. And now Maddie had been put in danger because of me.
Ethan wrapped his arms around me. “Everything’s over now. Maddison’s safe. You’re safe. The killer’s behind bars. It’s over.”
“It’s really over?” I asked, making sure I’d heard him correctly.
“It’s really over. Now, get some sleep, and in the morning we can talk it all out.”
“It is morning,” I stated. The sun would be up in a few hours.
Ethan smiled slightly. “I know. We’ve all had a long night, but I need a few more hours to process everything that went down tonight.”
“Okay.” I looked at Pablo. “I guess we don’t need your services anymore.”
“Actually,” Ethan cut in, “I’d like to keep your security until we’re sure we caught the only killer.”
“There could be more than one?” Maddie asked.
“You just said it was over,” I retorted.
“While I’m almost certain we were only dealing with one killer, and it is over, I just want to make sure before I let Pablo and Evan go.”
Ethan was right. I didn’t know all the details about the case, but until this person—this woman—was convicted, it was probably a good idea to keep my security. With my luck, there was another person, and he or she would be out for revenge.
“Do you know why I was a target?” I asked.
“Not yet, but I’m going to find out.”
Maddie yawned. “I’m going to head to bed.”
I pulled her in for another hug. “Go ahead, honey. I’m here if you need me. I love you.”
“Love you too.” She turned to Ethan and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you.”
He hugged her back. “You don’t need to thank me. I’m just happy you’re okay.” Maddie turned and went to her room.
“I’m sorry about tonight,” Pablo stated.
“Don’t do that,” Ethan said. “Maddie wasn’t your responsibility.”
“No, but I could have at least walked her back while Reagan was working.”
“There’s no way we could have known. Everything worked out. Go get some sleep too.”
“I’m going to kiss my daughter when I get home.”
Ethan clapped him on the shoulder. “Do that. And please, don’t blame yourself.”
Pablo nodded. “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night.” I waved go
odbye. Pablo left, and Ethan pulled me in for another hug. “I was so scared.”
“I know, Buttercup, but it was you who helped solve this case.”
“How?”
“The email led us to confirm it was an employee of the school. We were able to get CCTV and cross-reference the car we saw with the employee records.”
“I can’t believe it was an employee. Though, I guess it makes sense since the victims were students.”
“And a woman.”
“Yeah, that’s crazy too.” I heard the shower in the hall bathroom turn on. “Is Maddie really okay?”
Ethan kept his arms around me. “Physically? Yes. Emotionally? It may take her some time. She seemed headstrong through it all, and all that happened was she was taken and tied up.”
“What exactly happened?” I pulled my head back and looked into his eyes. Ethan told me all he knew. The IT director at the college was involved, but he had plans to help Maddie when he learned of the killer’s plan. “I can’t believe this happened.”
“I know.” He kissed me softly. “It really did all happen because of you.”
My stomach dropped, and a tear slid down my cheek again. “I know.”
“I don’t mean it like that. I mean the killer was caught because of your email tracing idea. If we didn’t have that info, I don’t think we would have caught her. Though, if Jack Clark was really going to save Maddie—which it appears he was—then all of it would have come to a head, and nothing would have happened to Maddison.”
“Well, I’m glad she’s safe.”
“Me too, Buttercup. Go to bed, and I’ll be home soon.”
“Okay. Thank you for saving my daughter.”
“Always.”
We kissed again and then he left. I went to take a quick shower before I crawled into bed with Maddie. I held her tight until she was asleep.
I was exhausted.
I had been awake for almost twenty-four hours, but Shawn and I needed to interview Katrina Carpenter. Before going into the interrogation room, I grabbed a cup of coffee.
“How’s Maddison?” Shawn asked and then took a sip of his coffee.
“I think she’s doing okay. Tired.”
Watch Me Page 19